Charging piles show Chinese heft in EVs

China has cemented its dominance in the global electric mobility sector, establishing a charging infrastructure network that far outpaces its international peers, said industry experts.

The scale of the rollout is increasingly viewed as a decisive competitive advantage, removing infrastructure bottlenecks to accelerate the mass adoption of new energy vehicles across the world's largest auto market, they said.

Supported by market-driven demand, China's inventory of electric vehicle charging stations reached 18.65 million at the end of October, 54 percent higher compared with the same period of the previous year, according to data released by the National Energy Administration.

Public charging facilities accounted for more than 4.53 million units, a growth rate of 39.5 percent over the previous year. This rapid expansion ensures that public access keeps pace with vehicle adoption rates in densely populated urban areas and along critical transport corridors, it said.

Meanwhile, China's strategic focus is also shifting toward the aggressive development of high-powered, fast-charging capabilities within its vast EV infrastructure network.

This market-driven deployment underscores the maturing of a critical support ecosystem, which is central to Beijing's broader strategy of fostering high-quality economic growth and meeting ambitious environmental sustainability targets.

This move is essential to reduce vehicle downtime and secure efficient operation across commercial fleets, said Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University.

"Quick turnaround times at charging stops along highways and major corridors are key to mitigating 'range anxiety' and encouraging broader public adoption of electric mobility across China's vast geography," Lin said.

According to the NEA, the growth in private charging infrastructure, which primarily serves residential users, was even more striking, surging to more than 14.11 million units with a year-on-year increase of 59.4 percent.

This rapid installation of home-based units signals rising consumer confidence and the normalization of EV ownership across suburban landscapes, as well as the significant grid modernization required to handle widespread residential charging demand.

According to the NEA, aided by improved charging services, motorists are choosing EVs for long-distance journeys, including the world's largest annual human migration, the Spring Festival travel rush, as well as the National Day holiday in October.

During this year's National Day holiday, the average daily charging volume grew by a substantial 45.7 percent compared to the same holiday period last year, proving the viability of NEVs for extended travel.

To sustain this momentum and prepare for an even larger national fleet, the government has launched a three-year action plan (2025-27), aiming to double the country's charging service capacity by the end of 2027 by constructing 28 million new charging facilities nationwide.

The nationwide charging network is projected to deliver over 300 million kilowatts of capacity by 2027 to meet the charging needs of more than 80 million EVs, according to a document recently released by six government departments, including the National Development and Reform Commission.

To meet these targets, Beijing intends to strengthen urban fast-charging capacity across a wide range of parking venues. The roadmap envisions the rollout of 1.6 million direct current terminals in cities by 2027, including a subset of 100,000 high-power units.

The strategy also prioritizes the modernization of highway networks, mandating the installation or renovation of 40,000 fast chargers in service areas, each with a minimum power output of 60 kW.

Zhou Libo, deputy secretary-general of the China Electricity Council's electric transportation and energy storage branch, said the country has already built the world's largest charging network in terms of coverage after years of efforts.

Zhou expects the NEV and charging/battery swapping sectors to maintain rapid growth during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30).

He called for scientific planning and moderate construction charging facility growth ahead of demand to meet the upsurge.

This strategic plan emphasizes not only sheer volume, but also quality and geographic equity, specifically aiming to eliminate infrastructure gaps in critical areas, he said.

This includes enhancing charging access along high-speed highways, upgrading facilities within older residential communities, and ensuring adequate coverage in smaller third and fourth-tier cities.